Motivational interviewing in promoting oral health: A literature review

Behavioral sciences are a group of disciplines that involve the study of human actions. Various behavioral models have been used in the past 50 years in behavior modification. One behavioral model currently being studied for its application in oral healthcare is motivational interviewing (MI). Motivational interviewing is a patient-centered psycho-behavioral method used in various fields of medicine and psychology to help patients change their health-affecting behaviors. Effective health promotion is important, since in developed countries, the majority of deaths and diseases are caused by chronic conditions. Controlling and treating chronic diseases require sustained commitment. This literature review aimed to describe the current methods of health promotion for oral health, based on various disease models, with a thorough discussion of the psycho-behavioral method known as MI, and its applications in dentistry and oral health. There is evidence that MI is applied in various health and dental areas, such as oral health promotion, early childhood caries (ECC), periodontal disease, smoking cessation, and improving the quality of life during and after cancer treatment. The clinical and research limitations of this method were also addressed. Comparing the general ideas and ethos of MI to the definition of health promotion by the World Health Organization (WHO), it can be stated that they represent a common approach to promoting health.